1200 17th St. will total 168,000 square feet and will be located near the red, blue and orange Metro lines in Washington, D.C.’s central business district. It will feature contemporary finishes, with column-free client space, efficient floor plates, floor-to-ceiling glass and state-of-the-art amenities such as a full-service client-only fitness center, a green roof with entertainment space, bike storage and changing facilities, and ground-floor retail.

The boutique building is 63 percent pre-leased, with law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman L.L.C. signing a 105,000-square-foot lease there in January. Four floors, totaling almost 60,000 square feet, remain available.

“This groundbreaking underscores the strength of the Washington real estate market and our city’s economy. The coming together of Mitsui Fudosan America, Pillsbury and Akridge demonstrates that true professionals, working together, will create the trophy-quality office building that Washington deserves,” said Connolly in a statement for the press.

1200 17th St. is targeting LEED Platinum certification. It was designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects L.L.P. and will have Balfour Beatty as general contractor. The project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.